In the Way
by DarkClerk
Summary: Who doesn't love a Jayne/Kaylee/Simon love triangle, right? Set during the show, NOT after the movie.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All hail Joss and faceless shadowy corporations that control everything. I own none 'o this. It's all in good fun and I am making no money etc. (I own enough Serenity merchandise I practically bought the franchise anyway.)

A/N: Hello, folks! I am trying to consolidate my fic to one site and this is it! This is a little something I started long ago- hopefully I'll finally finish it! Mama didn't raise no quitters.

**In the Way – Chapter 1**

Simon was looking for River.

He always seemed to be looking for River, anymore. Ironic, that after he had spent so much time and energy to get her out of the Academy, he still found himself engaged in this protracted game of hide and seek.

She liked to watch the stars drift by and talk to Wash, so he checked the bridge but she wasn't there. Nor was she in the galley. Shepard Book hadn't seen her and when Simon asked the Captain he got a resounding no. The captain had his own problems. They had received a job offer for when they landed on New Canaan and he needed to talk to Jayne but he couldn't seem to find the big mercenary in any of the usual places. As he walked away Simon could hear the captain complaining about the apparent epidemic of missing people and possible holes in the space time continuum.

Simon looked in the cargo bay and once again came up short. Remembering that River liked to watch Kaylee in the engine room sometimes, he turned himself in that direction. He had found his sister there one day last week, 'helping' the mechanic. Kaylee would bark out the names of tools she wanted River to hand to her in a perfect imitation of a stuffy surgeon demanding a scalpel and the two girls would burst into giggles. The sound of their normal ordinary laughter had been so pleasant Simon hadn't the heart to be offended. He just let them laugh.

When the doctor approached the engine room this time, he heard Kaylee's giggle drift through the corridor and he smiled, thinking that he must have found his sister at last. But when he ducked through the door to the engine room, he heard a deeper guffaw and found himself looking at a cozy little scene that did not include River. Kaylee sat crossed legged on the floor, surrounded by tools, the usual smudge of grease on her face. Seated on the floor facing her, however, was Jayne. He was holding a large awkwardly shaped engine part of some sort on his lap, holding it steady as Kaylee attended to it.

Kaylee looked up and smiled at Simon when he entered, "Hey there, Simon!"

"Hello," he returned the greeting a little stiffly. Something in the air was giving him an uncomfortable feeling, like he was interrupting. Maybe it was the sudden hostile glare Jayne had given him when he walked in. For a moment he thought he perceived a territorial edge to it but he cast that impression away. There was nothing in the engine room Jayne would be interested in. That glare and the feeling of easy camaraderie he had obviously stumbled onto between them annoyed Simon suddenly, anyway. "The captain's looking for you." He informed Jayne curtly.

The big man made an ugly face at him before turning a gentler expression toward Kaylee, "You need anything else?" He asked her.

She smiled back at him, "I can manage the last little bit but I could use a hand puttin' it back in place."

"'kay. I'll swing back 'round later."

"Okay. Thanks, Jayne."

The big man carefully laid the part down on the floor and threw one last scowl at Simon before exiting. Simon turned to Kaylee, "Trying to train the un-trainable man-ape?" he asked lightly but she didn't smile back at him like he expected.

"He's not . . ." She shook her head.

"What?"

"I don't want to hear about it anymore." She said sounding exasperated, "Jayne's Jayne. Just-" She waved her hands around vaguely, "stay out of his way or something."

Simon was almost wishing he had stayed out of _her_ way. Not wanting to talk about it anymore he returned to his original purpose, "Have you seen River, anywhere?" For a second he thought she looked- disappointed, angry maybe- something but it was gone too quickly for him to be sure.

"Nope. Sorry." She turned to rifle through her tool box and wouldn't look at him.

He'd done it again, somehow- said the wrong thing. "Okay. Thanks." She nodded and he waited, hoping she would turn back around but she didn't. With a sigh he stepped back out the door. He wandered the ship some more, not really expecting to find his sister- apparently she didn't feel like being found right now but he was too restless to go back to the infirmary. Eventually, he found himself back the galley but he didn't feel much like eating either. His restless feet drug him on.

Moving to step over the threshold onto the upper deck of the cargo bay, Simon felt a massive hand flatten against his chest and push him aside roughly. He fell back, knocking his tail bone painfully against the wall. Letting out a rare string of curses, Simon rubbed at his back and grimaced. When he stuck his head out into the corridor he could see Jayne's retreating back. He could also hear Jayne whistling cheerfully as though he were deliberately trying to add insult to injury.

"What is his problem?!" Simon demanded to the universe with a frustrated cry when River peered around the corner suddenly and surveyed him with that critical, detached look that she wore so often now.

"You're in the way." She told him seriously.

In Jayne's way? How? He'd stepped aside just so the other man could get past. How could he possibly be in Jayne's way? Why was everybody telling him to stay out of Jayne's way? What-

Simon realized suddenly that he was now standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Sorry, mei-mei." He smiled a little ruefully before stepping back to let her pass. He was letting Jayne's hostility distract him.

River frowned at him. "You don't understand her." She said and she turned back the way she came instead of continuing past him.

That was certainly true, Simon thought watching his sister walk away. Then remembering suddenly that he had spent the whole morning looking for her, he hurried after hastily.

He lost her again, somewhere around the galley but came face to face with Shepard Book. The older man raised an eyebrow at Simon's flushed face.

"Are you alright, son?" He asked. "You look a mite . . . flustered."

"It's just- " He was surprised by the sharp, harried tone of his own voice but wasn't sure how to explain about this morning, when nothing seemed to go right. Book motioned toward the table, got him to sit down, handed him a cup of tea and pretty soon the whole of it was pouring out- his endless search for River and Kaylee's irritation with him. Book listened patiently, drawing out the details calmly. Simon ended the tale by describing Jayne's painful hostility. It was like all his little problems had decided to gang up on him at once. Simon sighed and rubbed at his face tiredly.

"Do you want my advice?" Book asked gently.

"Yes." Simon sighed, resigned. At this point he would take anything he could get.

"River's recovery was always going to be slow and painful. There is nothing you can do about that but what you have been doing- be patient and do the best you can for her. As for Kaylee- well, I'm not really in a position to give romantic advice accept to say it might be necessary for you to make a choice." Simon didn't ask what choice Book was referring to. He knew all too well. "And in regards to Jayne," Book continued, "have you tried asking him what the source of his hostility for you is?"

Simon gave him a look of open-mouthed incredulity and Book chuckled a little, "I realize that Jayne is not gen'rally the communicative type but if you really want to change his behavior, you have to know the root cause of it."

"So I should just ask him?" Simon couldn't keep the doubt out of his voice.

Book shrugged, "What have you got to lose?"

What indeed, Simon asked himself. He left Shepard Book politely and finally turned his feet toward his neglected work. He had some recently published findings on irregularities of brain chemistry as discovered in rats treated with certain drugs, he had picked up from the local Cortex which he had been meaning to go through.

Three hours later, it was quiet on the ship, since most everyone had gone off to attend to their most recent job. He had even managed to get River to take her medication and a nap. It was the perfect opportunity to wrestle with the complex material he had ignored but he still found himself distracted all afternoon by Book's suggestion.

Simon couldn't see what he could do about Kaylee or River but what if he had a chance to deal with Jayne's enmity, maybe even reduce it a little? Of course, what would guarantee that Jayne would answer any of his questions truthfully if at all, assuming the mercenary didn't just shove him through a bulk head for daring to ask in the first place? He glanced down at the info in his hands describing the connection between behaviors and drug compounds. Hmm, maybe he had some options after all . . . Simon reached hastily for his encyclopedia of medical knowledge and started to take some notes.

His research was interrupted a few hours later when the others returned from the job, bloodied and not a little bruised. Apparently things had not gone well. Jayne actually had a small caliber gunshot wound to the leg. The bullet had passed straight thru the fleshy outer area of his leg- hardly more than a scratch for a man in Jayne's line of work but it would still need extensive stitching and Simon couldn't help but be pleased. Who would have thought he would have the chance to put his plan into action so soon?

The doctor put Jayne under as soon as possible, mostly because he didn't want to listen to his inevitable complaints but also because he didn't want to be asked any inconvenient questions. He saw to the leg wound quickly and efficiently and checked the captain and Zoë too, making sure the minor injuries weren't hiding anything more serious. When he was satisfied they both limped off to get some rest. Then Simon waited patiently for Jayne to come around. It wouldn't take more than an hour or two. Jayne was so big nothing seemed to keep his system down for long. As soon as Simon noticed the signs of approaching consciousness, he reached for the vial he had prepared and dosed Jayne smoothly.

"_Go se_ but I feel ruttin' strange." Jayne observed in an almost bewildered tone.

"That would be the drugs I gave you." Simon said coolly, glancing up from the infirmary counter and over his shoulder at the newly awakened Jayne.

"What drugs?"

"Part of it is the sedative but there are some other things in there, as well. It's actually a little cocktail the Alliance uses for interrogation. It won't hurt you."

"Interrogation?" Jayne asked uncertainly, still struggling to become fully awake.

Simon turned to stand beside Jayne's bed. "I think it's time we had a talk- and I'd like you to tell me the truth. Hence the drugs."

"What'd we got to talk 'bout?" The big man demanded, as Simon checked his pupil response calmly. Jayne tried to move but his body didn't seem to be responding real well. Normally being so helpless would have produced a panic induced rage but the drugs had taken care of that too. Simon surveyed him critically.

"How do you feel?"

"Okay. Can't even feel my leg. Bit cold in here though." Jayne frowned. He hadn't intended to say that. No way in hell he would admit to even that little weakness in front of anyone, least of all the doc. Simon pulled a blanket over his legs and looked into his eyes again. He nodded at whatever he saw.

"You look about ready."

"What the gorram hell we got to talk about?" Jayne demanded again though the tone lacked it usual intimidation factor as he blinked and frowned, trying to clear his vision.

"We seem to have a problem." Simon explained, "I know normally you handle your problems by pummeling them but since I would prefer to not to be beaten to death with a length of wood, we're going to handle it my way- the civilized way. We are going to talk about it. The drugs are to keep you honest- and civilized. It won't hurt you," He reiterated and looking at Jayne added mildly, "You may not even remember this tomorrow. So-" He took a deep breath, "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

Jayne frowned fuzzily at him. He was quiet for several moments and seemed to be fighting the drugs. Simon reached toward the vial to up the dosage when the big man spoke up suddenly, "You don't deserve her."

Simon turned back to him with a confused frown, "Who? Who don't I deserve? River?"

There was another long pause and the doctor considered the vial again but decided to give the first dose a chance to work. "Who don't I deserve?" He prompted again.

"Kaylee." Jayne looked as horrified as he could under the effect of the drugs and shook his head fiercely but his mouth continued on without him, "You're such a gorram idiot you don't even know-" His tone was a little slurred and Simon wasn't sure if he had broken off because he was still fighting or because the compound made it hard to for him to focus. Then despite the drugs that should have prevented him from moving much Jayne reached out and grabbed the doctor roughly by the arm. "You don't deserve her." He repeated, "Coming here, with your stiff shiny ways, making her feel 'shamed when she's the-" Jayne closed his eyes tightly for a moment, "the shiniest, warmest, prettiest . . . thing on this boat."

Shock was heavy on Simon's face. Was he hearing what he thought he was hearing? Was Jayne confessing to feelings for _Kaylee_? The drug had apparently taken hold because the big man continued on in the same fierce but meandering tone. He still hadn't let go of Simon's arm. He would shake it for emphasis occasionally and his grip was becoming painful.

"-and what'd you ever do to earn- _deserve_ her smiling at you? Nothing!" Jayne's voice was rising, "Ha! _You_ got her shot! _You_ would have let her bleed to death! I been around all this time; looking out for her, making her laugh . . . and all she wants is you, you worthless piece of . . ." He trailed off into some of the vilest language Simon had ever heard, though he was hardly listening. He tried desperately to comprehend what was happening. This was _not_ what the doctor had expected to hear when he thought this plan up.

"But you-" Simon was having a hard time articulating his objection, "You said those horrible things to her, that first night at the dinner table when Mal sent you away."

"That was stupid," Jayne said grudgingly, "Couldn't stand to see her making a fool of herself over you, some rich boy'd use her and throw her away."

Simon ignored this, still struggling to absorb this turn of events. "But she's- she's _Kaylee_." Simon added rather lamely. Jayne had always been fairly open in his admiration for both Zoë and Inara but Kaylee? The doctor thought back, analyzing Jayne's interaction with the mechanic. He teased her roughly about this and that, made sure they were on the same team for hoop ball, always said thank-you when Kaylee would cook for them . . . In fact, Kaylee was the one person on the ship Jayne seemed to treat like, well, a human being. The few times Simon had ever noticed the difference in Jayne's behavior he had simply dismissed it, assuming that Kaylee's indisputable sweetness even got under Jayne's gruff and dirty exterior. . . and it did. Only, that's not all it did. Oh God, that morning in the engine room- It had been exactly what he told himself it couldn't be. Simon felt a rising horror. A thousand little things were falling suddenly into place. His head was starting to spin.

The mercenary's voice intruded on his swirling thoughts. "What'd ya mean, 'She's Kaylee'?" Jayne was demanding, "I know she's Kaylee! Don't say her name like that, like nobody would want her! Who wouldn't want her? 'Cept you." He said with contempt, "You hoo dun. She throws herself at you and all you can do is tell her, her ship is a piece of go se and that she'll never be good enough-"

That was too much for Simon, "I never said that-"

"You never had ta say it. Swanking around, complaining, hating on every little thing-" Jayne looked Simon straight in the eye, "You don't understand her- and you never will."

"And you do?"

"I know her a helluva lot better than you! She sends most of her share home to her family and she won't ever take the last biscuit and . . ." Jayne continued on, rapidly cataloguing Kaylee's virtues from her gentleness and concern for the crew, to her genius in the engine room, to her cooking, even to the way she smiled with her hair falling out of a messy bun. He extemporized for several minutes and Simon let him. Jayne had seen so many things, minute and beautiful details that Simon had never noticed. The doctor's horror was replaced with a different gut sinking emotion, something like guilt. How was it possible that _Jayne_ saw all these things in Kaylee that Simon had never observed?

Jayne trailed off eventually and Simon felt the grip on his arm loosen. The big man was getting tired. He would be unconscious again soon. The two men locked eyes. "You don't deserve her." Jayne said very deliberately, before his eyes closed again.

Maybe, Simon thought rather numbly, he didn't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-**

The next morning Jayne woke up with a ferocious headache, a very vague recollection of the past twenty four hours and a taste in his mouth he usually associated with too much fun. This morning however, he was in restraints- Jayne's lifestyle was such that waking up in restraints wasn't all that unsettling, especially with the symptoms of a hangover but it looked like he was in the infirmary this time. Pushing past the fog of pain and confusion he sorted through his fuzzy memories: he had gone out with Mal and Zoë to collect a payment. Things turned rowdy. He took a hit. They made it back to the ship. The infirmary- that's why he was here. Doc stitched him up. The doc . . . something was nagging at him there but all he could remember was a pale face peering at him intently.

Ruttin' doctor. Why the hell had he been tied down? Jayne felt a moment's panic wondering if the doc had been fooling them all and was sly and had tied him down for some nefarious purpose- after all he didn't seem to want Kaylee and that was a sign of somethin' in Jayne's book. Well, if that was the case Jayne would-

The big man opened his mouth to start bellowing to be released when Simon appeared. The doc looked particularly hesitant this morning, standing in the doorway and Jayne had to wonder why that was. Normally he'd come strutting into a room like he owned the whole gorram ship.

"You're awake." Simon observed.

No shit.

"Wow- that fancy educatin' really paid off for you, doc." Jayne said sarcastically, glaring at the doctor with his usual contemptuous anger. "You're a ruttin' marvel of modern scientific thinkin'. Now-" Jayne took a deep breath, "-Let. Me. The. Hell. Up!" The big man's voice was getting progressively louder with every word until he was almost roaring. It seemed to snap Simon out of whatever spell was keeping him standing at the door like some kind of stupid statue. He rushed over and loosened the straps enough so Jayne could shake them off. Before Simon could react, the big man had moved, and the doctor found himself pushed against the counter with a hand around his throat.

"I ain't too partial to wakin' up in cuffs, doc. What's the big idea, huh?"

"I sedated you while I extracted the bullet. Then you were thrashing around in your sleep and I didn't want you to tear the wound back open."

Jayne peered intently into the doctor's eyes and tightened the hold around the other man's neck. It sounded believable but somethin' seemed off . . . He fumed at the idiot doctor in his grip. He wasn't looking like somebody who had taken advantage of an unconscious man- it would be against his precious morals, no doubt. But Jayne was troubled by a vague feeling of . . . violation.

Ah- (Curse) it. He felt like go se, he was hungry as hell and Mal'd kill him if he roughed up the little maggot. With a grunt, Jayne shoved the younger man away roughly and limped/ stomped off towards the galley.

Behind him, Simon rubbed his neck and thanked God that Jayne didn't remember their little conversation. He just wished to God he could forget it too.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **

But Simon couldn't forget what he had heard and seen and the knowledge of Jayne's feelings had made him aware in a way he had never been before. Simon wondered vaguely if River felt this way- as though a curtain had been ripped away from the world and suddenly a million hidden things had come spilling out. And suddenly nothing was what you had once thought it was. Simon could see everything.

Jayne watched Kaylee all the time. At dinner, Simon soon learned Jayne always sat on the opposite side of the table from the mechanic where he could observe her from under his eyelashes while he pretended his plate was the only thing that interested him. Sometimes when she spoke Jayne would forget himself and he would stop moving for five seconds- ten seconds as he absorbed every gesture, every intonation while she smiled and teased the rest of the crew.

Jayne listened especially hard when she spoke to Simon. The evidence was subtle but it could be seen in the way Jayne glanced up at the sound of the doctor's name on Kaylee's lips. That first night after the incident in the infirmary Kaylee turned to say something to Simon and he could see clearly how Jayne's grip tightened on his spoon until his knuckles turned white. When the captain interrupted to ask a question and drew Kaylee's attention away, Simon saw the muscles in Jayne's shoulders relax.

Perceiving all of this suddenly Simon wondered if the rest of the crew was blind. It was so obvious once you knew what to look for. The big man's belligerent indifference made a good front but it couldn't hide the quickness with which he passed Kaylee a dish or the way he reflected her moods when she talked. And Jayne's constant and obvious awareness of Kaylee was making Simon aware too.

Jayne was right: she never took the last biscuit and she always seemed to know who was having a hard day and she cared enough to try and fix it. Sometimes that meant helping someone with dishes, sometimes it meant telling a really dirty joke, sometimes it was just a sympathetic smile at the right time but she always seemed to know what everybody needed to feel better. And she cared that they did.

Everyone else kept a certain distance. Life on the rim was hard and it made for hard people who played everything close to the vest- affection and friendship included but not Kaylee. Her love shined out of her without reserve or fear. In this way, Simon was coming to consider her the bravest member of the crew.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Something was wrong with Serenity.

Kaylee could feel it. In the same way she knew that the compression coil needed replacing or the buffer panel was loose, she could sense something off in the . . . aura of her beloved ship. It was driving her to distraction, that feeling of wrongness. She checked the engines, again and again, the stabilizers, the landing gear, life support, navigation. She took things apart, put them back together, flushed out systems, changed fluids, re-booted, tinkered, and listened, and tinkered again and could find nothing wrong. At least not seriously wrong mechanically. So what was this feeling she had, like one of the stabilizers was all wonky and they weren't flying smooth anymore? And why couldn't she find the problem?

After another long frustrating day of diagnostics and adjustments for which she had absolutely nothing to show, she had dragged her miserable carcass to the galley, too tired to even wash first. Kaylee sat down at her place and acknowledged Book's cheerful greeting with a tired nod. Eating absently, with her head propped in weariness on her hand she took a bit of rice and noticed Simon staring at her. That brightened her up. She began to raise her head to smile at him, flattered by the unexpected attention when she sighted something else. Jayne was looking at her too. When she caught his eye the big man looked down at his plate hastily. She frowned and turned back toward Simon but he was staring down at his food as well, studying it in the same way she had seen him stare at gun shot wounds, intent and serious as a preacher hearing confession.

What was going on? Kaylee felt a moment of panic. She hadn't washed up before coming to supper; maybe she had some fearsome streak of something on her face that was even worse than usual. Taking up her napkin, she scrubbed at her nose in a way she hoped was covert. Glancing at the square in her hand, she noticed nothing, not even grease. Shiny, she thought with a sigh, whatever it was, was so horrible it wouldn't even wipe off . . . and Simon was sitting right there, pretending she didn't even exist, to be polite. Her eyes filled with tears suddenly. Pretending she didn't even exist to be polite, that was his usual play wasn't it?

Making a hasty excuse, she shoved her half empty plate at Jayne who was always grateful for a little extra grub and hurried out. In the safety of her bunk, she had a bit of a cry, inspired as much by her frustrating day as Simon's perpetual indifference. Then morbidly curious as to what she actually had on her face, she got up and looked into the mirror.

Eyes, red and swollen. Nose, red at the tip. Hair, mused and falling out of her slapdash bun. That was it. A little bit of grease on her forehead but in actuality her face was mite cleaner than usual. She washed it anyway, scrubbing a little too hard 'cause she was getting angry looking at her own pathetic teary-eyed image. What was she crying 'bout anyway? She had Serenity and the folks aboard her to love, excluding Simon who apparently wasn't in the market for love. Which was a damn sight more than plenty of people in the 'verse had.

It was Serenity she decided. When things felt off with the ship, she felt off. So no more crying and feeling sorry for herself. She had a job and people who depended on her to do it. Best to get to it, as the Captain would say.

Pulling her hair back more firmly, Kaylee headed toward the engine room. Maybe if she . . .

An hour later, the little mechanic didn't have much to show for her new efforts but she was still hopeful. She decided to try something she didn't often resort too. Taking off her heavy boots and then her socks, Kaylee laid down on the floor of the engine room. She pressed the soles of her feet up onto the walls and stretched her arms over her head to touch the base of the main engine casing. She closed her eyes and just tried to open herself up to whatever Serenity was trying to tell her.

C'mon girl, she begged in her mind, just give me some kinda sign . . .

A moment later she heard an incredulous voice, "What in the Sam hill are you doin', girl?"

Kaylee sat up so fast she almost hit her head on an inconvenient bit of machinery. "Jayne! Why the hell don't you ever knock?" She demanded. She could feel her face blazing red and hot, as though he had walked in on her in the shower or something. Nobody was supposed to catch her talkin' to Serenity like that.

"It's a engine room." Jayne observed rather blankly, still looking at her with amazement, which Kaylee supposed was better than scorn. "What are you doin'?" He asked again.

"What're _you_ doing here?" She demanded, her embarrassment making her grouchy and she reached out sharply to snag the nearer of her boots. The other was right at Jayne's feet. He crouched down a little stiffly (it was only three days since he'd been shot, Kaylee remembered) and offered her the other boot with an out stretched hand. Squatting, with his weight resting on his toes, their eyes were almost of a level. He had pretty eyes for a man; hazel, see-sawing between soft greens and browns. Spring time colors. Kaylee reached out and took the boot slowly.

"You didn't finish your dinner and I never know'd you not to eat what was put in front of you." He answered, "You feelin' okay?"

"I'm fine." She said to her boot lace.

Jayne snorted, "Tell that to my face."

Kaylee looked up, startled. She opened her mouth to say something or ask a question, maybe about why he had been looking at her over dinner when Simon appeared in the doorway. He had to see them both on the floor but the doctor ignored Jayne and spoke only to Kaylee.

"Hello."

"Hi," Kaylee said, a little awkward. The feeling of offness was back with a vengeance- so strong it was almost surreal, like being stuck in a strange dream where you know you're sleepin' but you still can't wake up and you have to resign yourself to going wherever the dream takes you.

"You didn't finish your supper," Simon said with a careful, concerned smile, "Are you feeling alright?"

Kaylee couldn't help it, she glanced over at Jayne to see if it was some unlikely joke they had dreamed up together. From the expression of irritation on Jayne's face it was nothing of the sort. She turned back to Simon.

"Fine," She said, "Just wasn't hungry is all."

Simon nodded and there was a moment of exceptionally awkward silence.

Jayne stood abruptly and moved toward the door though Simon was still standing in the doorway. The big man looked down at the doctor with undisguised menace.

"You're in my way, little man." He growled. Simon's eyes widened and he gave Jayne a look so strange, even Jayne paused for a second. Then the doc's expression resolved itself into the usual vague contempt he wore around Jayne. Simon stepped back mockingly and waved the other man through with a gesture so grand Jayne might have been the King of all Londinium, complete with shiny hat. To Kaylee's surprise, Jayne ignored the provocation and left the engine room without a backward glance.

Simon turned back to Kaylee where she sat on the floor.

"What are you working on?" He asked, with a curious little frown. He didn't ask her again about supper, Kaylee noted somewhere in her mind. Jayne was right, she always cleaned her plate. Too many years sitting at a big table with a lot of people and not enough food had taught her to eat what she could get while she could get it.

That wasn't something Simon would know a lot about, she observed absently.

"Nothing much," Kaylee answered, getting to her feet. He reached out and took her hand to help her up. The touch was cool and impersonal, merely polite. Simon's eyes were dark- mysterious Kaylee had always thought. Now they just seemed distant. Everything was politeness and gestures and distance with him. What did he really feel? Was he ever gonna _do_ something? Kaylee rubbed her thumb gently over the skin of Simons hand just as it slid from her grasp. He moved away from her to dip his fingers into one of her toolboxes.

"What were you doing on the floor, then?" He asked absently fingering one of her wrenches and not looking at her.

Could she tell him? Would he understand that sometimes she had to really open herself up and _listen_ to Serenity to find a problem? Her eternal optimism forced her to give him a chance. "I was listen'," Kaylee explained, "Sometimes . . ." She struggled for the right words and he looked at her finally, a question wrinkling his brow, "Sometimes I have to- strip myself down so I can hear Serenity right."

"Strip yourself down . . ." He said with doubtful amusement.

"Not like that," She said. Why was he always laughing at her? "I mean. . . I hafta put aside all the stuff I'm thinking and feeling, kind of take away all the things that get in the way of listening and just. . . be ready to hear 'er. "

Kaylee wasn't sure if he understood. "It's easier on the floor," She added kind of lamely.

"I understand."

"Do you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side and studying him.


	3. Chapter 3

**In the Way – Chapter 3**

Kaylee's hair was slipping out of her bun. From across the table, Simon tried not to stare at the soft curls lying against her neck and cheek. Resting her head against the heel of her hand she ate wearily, almost asleep as she spooned rice into her mouth. Their eyes met suddenly when her gaze flicked up but something caught her attention and her head turned. Simon took the opportunity to look back down at his plate but continued watching out of the corner of his eye.

She was staring at Jayne and Simon felt a sudden dropping sensation in his gut. After a moment, Kaylee turned back to the doctor and he carefully dissected a bit of protein, pretending he had not been staring himself.

Simon couldn't see what happened next but he did see Kaylee shove the remains of her half-eaten dinner toward Jayne. He looked up just in time to watch her back as she hurried up the steps and out the door. Everyone at the table exchanged curious and surprised glances in reaction to Kaylee's sudden departure. Everyone but Jayne. He watched the mechanic's retreat until she wasn't visible and then frowned down at the plate she had handed him.

"Now what's eatin' her?" Mal demanded to the world at large. The captain turned his sharp disapproving gaze onto Simon.

"I don't know." Even Simon was surprised by how bewildered he sounded. He hadn't even spoken to Kaylee today. What could he have done? He had no idea. Everything seemed inexplicable to him since he had learned of Jayne's feelings.

The doctor's eyes drifted back to the mercenary. Jayne had transferred the food on Kaylee's plate to his own- although Simon noticed he hadn't touched her biscuit. He hadn't even moved to butter it. Look, Simon wanted to shout, he won't eat her biscuit! Can't you people _see_?

The conversation resumed slowly and Simon attempted to eat his meal as though everything were normal. Jayne finished bolting his food and he picked up his and Kaylee's plate to take to the sink then disappeared out the mess door. Kaylee's biscuit had disappeared, Simon noticed but he didn't know to where. He _knew_ Jayne hadn't eaten it.

A few minutes later, a sudden thought occurred to Simon and he shoveled the last of his food into his mouth before hastily following Jayne.

The big man was in the engine room, just as Simon had suspected. Crouched on the floor with her again, like conspirators. The mechanic and the mercenary had always looked annoyingly comfortable with each, Simon noted. Their body language was easy and natural- familiar even. Jayne himself even looked gentler somehow. He was still a huge bear of a man but with Kaylee he looked protective rather than aggressive.

Disquieting. That's what it was- distinctly disquieting.

Simon greeted Kaylee stiffly and inquired into her lack of appetite. She assured him it wasn't anything to be concerned about and for a moment he could think of absolutely nothing more to say. Jayne's presence was nagging at his attention. Then, as though responding to the pressure of Simon's notice, the big man stood abruptly and moved to leave.

The doctor found himself standing in the door, inadvertently blocking the path.

"You're in my way little man."

Didn't Simon know it.

After Jayne was gone, the doctor made small meaningless talk with Kaylee and helped her off the floor absently. When he moved to let go of her hand she touched him- a warm deliberate touch that terrified him even as it heated the blood under his skin. He saw her expression as he turned away from her, so warm and willing and hopeful.

Simon could have her almost anytime he wanted her- and when this thought occurred to him, he felt almost physically sick. He could hear Jayne's voice in his mind, "Some rich boy'd use her and throw her away . . ." He didn't want that - it's why he had resisted her all this time. He didn't want to- to _be_ with her and then wake up and realize it was the result of his loneliness or desperation or tension. She deserved better. And her obvious and simple affection for him was precious. It made him want to protect her even from himself.

Reaching into her toolbox, Simon ran his fingers over cold hard metal, hoping to freeze out the memory of her touch still warm on his skin. Kaylee told him how she listened to Serenity sometimes, cracked open and defenseless. Seeing her embarrassment at the confession, Simon reassured her that he understood.

"Do you?" She asked and for once she was really looking at him, without the rosy glasses and the thinly veiled hero worship. Genuine scrutiny from Kaylee was strange and he felt a moment like taking one step outside of himself and then back again. Scrutinizing himself, Simon realized he _didn't_ really understand. He had never been truly defenseless with anyone. His eyes fell. Sitting beside Kaylee's toolbox was a biscuit.

Kaylee moved closer to look at his face, turned away from her. His expression was so thoughtful . . . She touched his arm gently. "Simon?" She asked. Her eyes were as soft and sweet as her touch. Simon stepped back away and forced a smile.

"I should go. I have to give River her medication before she goes to bed." He could see the rejection on her face quite clearly and rested his own hand on hers briefly. "Sweet dreams." He walked away quickly.

She watched him go until he disappeared around a bend in the corridor. Eyes falling down to the mess at her feet, Kaylee snatched up a wrench and flung it away as hard as she could. It ricocheted off the wall with a loud clang and she felt instantly sorry and ashamed. She rushed over to pat the wall with a hand still shaking from anger. "I'm sorry, pretty girl." The mechanic told Serenity full of desperation and distress, "I'm not mad at you."

The paint under her fingers was chipped where the wrench had landed. Oh, god. Kaylee rested her forehead against the mark, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. . . "


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 -**

Serenity was a week out from New Canaan and headed for Whitefall- the long way through empty quiet space, just how Mal liked it. Their last job had ended a little rough but they had their coin and supplies, nobody was actively chasin' them, and nothing horrific had happened in days. Everyone should have been happy. But the atmosphere on the ship was strange and tense. Kaylee, usually their own little spot of bright in the black was uptight and edgy and bound to drive everyone to distraction with her unending hunt for some elusive mechanical problem she was positive existed but nobody could find.

Mal had spoken to her about it, tried to make her see sense and convince her nothing was wrong but had finally given up in defeat. He decided it was a touch of the space madness from being cooped up and he determined to make sure she got off the ship and saw a little fun on Whitefall, such as was available on that rock. They had five days to go 'till planetfall, baring any of the usual disasters that seemed to be part of their crapfest destiny. Until then the captain consoled himself with the knowledge that she might be driving everyone crazy but at least she was keeping busy and making any number of little improvements and repairs that needed doin'.

Jayne was also troubled. Somethin' was nagging at him, irritating him, _eluding_ him. This was not good. Jayne was not built for solving puzzles or cogitatin' on things. It was what made him good muscle- the ability to react without having to think. Throw a punch, fire a shot, snatch the loot- not because you _decided_ to do it but because that was what you _did_. A man who slowed down enough to think was dead.

But something was wrong.

Kaylee was upset. She wandered around the ship like an agitated ghost- hammering on this, unscrewing that, opening up panels and examining wires only to close them again. She wasn't eating much and if the circles under her eyes were any indication she wasn't sleepin' much either. And every time he tried to talk to her about it, the gorram doctor would show up and ruin everything. Jayne's temper was wearing thin having to look at that pale smug face every time he turned around. That face- it was part of the problem, part of Jayne's own recent discomforture, though he couldn't think of why particularly. All he knew was that he had the real strong urge to put his fist through Simon's face and out the backside of his skull.

Tired of glowering at the walls of his bunk Jayne decided a workout might help to clear out the worry and frustration sitting on the edge of his every thought. On the way to his weight bench in the cargo bay, Kaylee startled him by falling out of the ceiling. She was actually hanging upside down from a pipe, fiddling with god knows what all, when her hand slipped and her face appeared suddenly in his vision. Her cheeks were flushed as the blood ran to her head.

They stared at each other for a second, seemingly equally surprised.

"What are you doin' now?" Jayne demanded finally, "You got the space madness or somethin'? Or you just been spendin' too much time with the doc's nutso sister?"

"No!" She said furiously and then seemed to realize how ridiculous it was to argue you weren't crazy when you were hanging upside down. In her attempt to get down, Kaylee's boot got caught on something and she was stuck hanging by one leg while she clutched desperately at some other pipes, trying not to fall. She looked so silly hanging there, tugging and yanking at her own foot all the while swearing like a space pirate, he started to laugh.

The look she shot him had him hurrying forward to help untangle her.

As Jayne helped her down from the ceiling he could feel her- warm and shaking in his arms against his chest. Her hair brushed his face. She smelled like engine grease and lavender soap. He set her on her feet again and couldn't help himself from brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face.

Kaylee was holding onto his arms as her body reminded itself which way was up and which was down now. She looked up at him to say a grudging thank-you when he touched her gently, pushed some fly-away hair out of her eyes.

"You should be more careful," He told her, "What'll we do if you fall down and crack your fool head open? Nobody else can fix this boat."

"I-" What was she supposed to say? He was looking at her so intently. When was the last time someone had looked at her like that? When had anybody looked at her with that kind of deliberate concern?

"What're you lookin' for, anyway?" He asked.

His voice was soft and they were still standing so close. He was holding her arm in a firm gentle grip to steady her and Kaylee realized it was the steadiest she had felt for days. What was she looking for? She thought she knew.

She opened her mouth to tell him something, wanting suddenly to explain the feeling of wrongness she had and how hard she had been trying to listen to Serenity but nothing seemed to work. She opened her mouth to confess how in a moment of anger she had thrown that wrench and struck her sweet girl and how she was maybe afraid that Serenity was . . . mad at her. She gripped his sleeve in one little fist and opened her mouth- when a sound behind her made her jump.

Simon was standing there- watching. His arms were folded tightly across his chest and Kaylee was abruptly aware of Jayne's hands on her and hers on him. She stepped back quickly, hands falling to her sides.

"Am I interrupting something?" Simon asked coolly.

Kaylee smiled nervously and gestured toward the ceiling vaguely, "I was stuck," She explained with an awkward laugh.

"Stuck?"

"Yeah," Jayne said belligerently, staring at Simon over Kaylee's head, "Got a problem with that?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to SubjectiveReality who reminded how badly I have been neglecting you folks. Thanks SR! Sometimes I need a little push.

**Chapter 5-**

Kaylee stepped between them and reached out to lay her hand flat against Jayne's chest. The familiarity of that touch and Jayne's antagonistic tone was more than Simon could bear suddenly. "No," He said in an icy disdainful voice, "no problem." And turned to go.

Kaylee looked as though she had been struck. "Simon, wait-" She reached out towards his retreating back.

A loud snort from Jayne, "Aw, let 'em go, Kaylee. He's naught but a spoiled, pansy-assed fool, anyways." He didn't bother to keep his voice down and Simon stiffened, pausing in his retreat. In the same instant, Kaylee rounded on Jayne.

"Why do you always have to pick at him so?" She demanded, "What did he ever do to you?" Her face was pale and her jaw set as she stepped closer. She was angry at Jayne now, when just a few moments before she had been touching him. Simon turned around too and was watching. Trapped by Kaylee's fury and the docs watching eyes, Jayne felt a moment of panic and something near to despair. It was all the docs fault, Jayne thought. Coming around, always in the way, never giving the two of them a moment alone. Simon all stiff and shiny who couldn't make her happy even if he cared to try. Kaylee's question rang in his head, 'what did he ever do to you?'. Simon's curious eyes. It all seemed familiar. 'What did I ever do to you? –'Civilized conversation.' – 'Stiff shiny ways." – "Who don't I deserve?'

Something wasn't right.

Jayne's eyes fell to Simon's pale face.

It all clicked.

"You!" he roared. The doc's eyes went wide with fear- and recognition. Then he ran.

* * *

Mal was crossing the common area when he saw his doctor, chased by his muscle, followed lastly by his mechanic come tearing through from the cargo bay. Kaylee was shouting something after the two men but Jayne and Simon both seemed to be conserving their breath for the running. The captain watched the chase blankly for a second. The doc was fast, Mal'd give him that but Jayne was determined and it wasn't like there was anywhere they could go really, 'cept in circles.

Then he realized what he was seeing.

The captain caught up with the three in the mess. Simon had made a mistake and Jayne had him pinned down with nowhere to go but the bridge. The mess table was between them and Simon was looking positively panicked.

What'd the doc do this time, Mal wondered.

Well, whatever it was he couldn't have the crew murderin' each other. Nothing would ever get done that way.

"What in the fiery depths of Hell is going on?" The captain demanded. Simon and Kaylee looked up at him in genuine relief but not Jayne. He took the opportunity made by the doctor's distraction to jump the table and grab the younger man by the throat.

Vaguely, the big man could hear desperate voices in the background but he ignored them unable to comprehend anything but his own rage at that moment. He slammed Simon down against the table heedless of Kaylee or Mal's protests. It wasn't until Mal pressed the barrel of his gun against Jayne's cheek that he stopped squeezing the throat under his hands.

"Let him the hell up, gorram it!" The captain roared. Jayne stopped squeezing but kept Simon pinned. When the big man heard the distinctive rising sound of the gun powering up, "Don't make me shoot you, you ruttin' great idjiot!".

Jayne glared down at Simon. This isn't over, his eyes promised but he let go and stepped back reluctantly. Then he caught sight of Kaylee's face and felt a horrible sinking feeling in his gut.

The captain cuffed him sharply across the back of the head suddenly and Jayne winced.

"You, sit down!" He pointed to a chair. Adrenaline and rage still pouring through his system, Jayne considered his options. He turned toward Mal . . . and noticed Kaylee's wide frightened eyes again. Shoulders sagging he sank down into the seat.

Mal turned to the doctor. "You, over there!" The captain pointed to another chair on the opposite side of the table from Jayne. The doctor opened his mouth to protest and in two fierce strides the captain had grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt and swung him bodily into the chair. "I said sit!" Simon slammed into the seat with enough force to send the chair sliding back several inches with a horrible grating squeak. He glared resentfully up at Mal and rubbed his neck with a sullen gesture.

Mal gave the doc and the merc both a dose of his murderous glare. "I am sick and tired of this go se!"

"Captain, he-" Simon tried to interrupt but Mal turned on him.

"I don't care! I am not a ruttin' school marm!" He glared at Jayne in equal measure just to be fair. "My tolerance has just run out. You don't have to like each other but you do have to do your jobs and you _will_ obey my orders the first time they are given!" His hand lashed out suddenly and sent a bowl flying to crash into the mess wall. Kaylee, Simon, and Jayne all jumped. The captain took a deep unsteady breath and crossed his arms against his chest. "If it wasn't for the fact that this boat needs both of you hoo duns, I'd put you both out the airlock and be done with it! But seeing as you are occasionally necessary I'm gonna give you one chance- you'll sit in this room until you come to an understanding that won't disturb what little peace and quiet I get-" Two mouths opened in protest the captain ignored, "- _or_ _I will shot you both! _Do you understand me?"

Nobody moved.

"I said, 'Do you understand me?'." Mal roared. Simon and Jayne both grumbled a vague affirmative.

"And don't think one of you can kill the other and come out victorious. One of you dies and I'll shoot the other. Both of you come out of this room alive or neither of you do."

The two men nodded again.

"Good." Mal walked over to the bridge door and pulled it shut sharply in Wash's eager curious face. When the captain turned, he seemed to catch sight of Kaylee for the first time. "Why aren't you in the engine room?" He shouted. Alarmed the mechanic turned and fled. He strode over to the other door.

"I'll have no more of this foolishness on my boat." The captain growled for good measure as he slammed the door. The echo's of the bang reverberated in the suddenly quiet air.

The mercenary and the doctor sat in resentful silence for nearly an hour. They shifted restlessly in their chairs but neither spoke or attempted to get up. Finally Simon said, "I won't tell her."

Jayne snorted loudly, "Yeah, like I should trust you." He said sarcastically.

"What would I say to her, 'I strapped Jayne down and pumped him full of drugs so I could ask him a series of personally invasive questions- in direct violation of my oath as a doctor by the way- and it turns out he's got feelings for you. What do you think of that, huh?'?" Simon sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "Do you think she'd approve of that?"

"She'd forgive you just about anything." Jayne said resentfully.

"Not that." Simon said with certainty.

"So what do we do?" Jayne demanded, "I ain't gonna pretend it never happened. We got a score to settle."

The other man nodded and stared down at the floor for a minute. "A score." He said musingly as Jayne glared. "A gamble." He looked up a Jayne, "What about a wager?"

"A wager?"

"For Kaylee, for a chance with Kaylee. Over the course of a month, we both do our best to-" He groped for the word, "to _woo_ her. Whoever is farther along at the end of the month is the winner and the loser gives it up, forever." He could see that Jayne wasn't buying it. "What? Don't think you're man enough?" The doctor asked mockingly.

Jayne's expression went murderously flat, "I am ten times the man you are." He didn't growl or hiss or shout. It was said in a low expressionless voice that gave Simon the chills and he wondered for a second if maybe he was going to die today no matter what the captain had threatened.

Jayne moved on though, "How am I supposed ta _woo_-" He said the word with a contemptuous twist of lips, "- Kaylee with you poppin' up every five seconds and ruining the mood?"

"I won't." Simon said promptly, "We both promise not to interfere with the others pursuit. For one month, we do what everyone suggests- we stay out of each other's way- and we let Kaylee herself decide." The doctor sat back confidently and waited for Jayne's reply. But he wasn't so sure on the inside. Kaylee's behavior lately made him wonder a little about who she would choose. If Jayne agreed, however, he would have one whole month to convince her he was the better choice. Meanwhile, the man ape thought over his proposal.

"How do we decide who's 'further along'?" Jayne asked coldly.

"I think that will be obvious to both of us."

Jayne grunted sourly but nodded, "One month, starting now and we let Kaylee decide."

"We let Kaylee decide."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter is for Whedonite247! Thanks for the encouragement!

In the Way- Chapter 6

As soon as they landed on Whitefall, Jayne disappeared for several hours to reappear suddenly, carrying two pale apples. On his return to the ship, he nodded politely to Shepard Book where the preacher was sitting on the edge of the open cargo bay doors, enjoying the shade as well as the fresh air as he studied the holy word.

The good book, despite common misconception, had never been specific about the actual nature of the fruit that hung on the tree of knowledge in that sweet garden humanity was forever barred from. Conventional wisdom, stretching all the way back to earth-that-was declared that the fall was caused by an apple- a woman, a snake, and an apple. A rather ordinary and wholesome fruit to be held responsible for so much trouble, Book had occasionally thought. It was after all a supremely useful food crop- hearty, versatile, productive. Not at all what you would picture as a harbinger of evil. Watching the little tableau unfolding before him however, Book was beginning to change his mind.

Jayne had moved his weight bench in front of the open cargo bay doors, where the breeze blew fresh air straight into the ship. He did a few light sets, working up a golden sheen of sweat and then with great ceremony he paused in his workout and bit into one of the apples. He ate it very slowly, savoring each bite in a way Book had never seen him eat anything. Usually Jayne seemed to prefer quantity to quality when it came to his eatin'. This time though, he ate so deliberately, with such slow care that the smell of apple seemed to flood the thin atmosphere. The preacher watched, rather baffled as the big man consumed the apple, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. With a confused frown and then a shrug, the Shepard returned to his book.

Eventually, there came the sound of small heavy boots and a flash of green coverall before a dark head popped up over the bay railing behind them. Book watched the head appear and disappear as Jayne, seemingly oblivious, continued his slow meal. A few moments later, Kaylee returned with her toolbox and started poking at the mechanism that controlled the bay doors as though looking for a problem. She greeted Book and he returned a warm hello but she studiously ignored Jayne. The big man was just finishing the first apple, having eaten everything but the stem and the portion of the core that included the small sharp seed casings.

Tossing the almost nonexistent remains of the apple casually out the door, Jayne then pulled a massive knife out of his left boot and began to sharpen it in his usual methodical fashion. The steely sound made a tense counterpoint to Kaylee's absent clanging as she did a poor job of pretending not to eye the second apple while she "fixed" the doors. Book quietly watched Jayne watching Kaylee watching the apple.

"You hungry?" The big man asked her eventually. She stiffened when he spoke to her but didn't try to deny her obvious interest in the fruit.

"You think you can just buy my forgiveness with a apple?" She demanded.

Jayne picked up the remaining apple and gave it a little toss before catching it again. "Don't know what I got to ask forgiveness for. The doc and I had a little disagreement-"

"About what?" Kaylee interrupted in a frantic, frustrated way that indicated to Book it was not the first time she had asked but Jayne ignored the question.

"-and we came to a understandin'" He gave the word a sarcastic twist, "just as the cap'n suggested. Don't see what you got to do with any o' that."

Wash had told the preacher and probably everybody else who wasn't there about the 'argument' and the captain's ultimatum. Both men had emerged from the galley alive and there had been no more trouble in the following three days between them so it could be assumed that they had reached the captain's required understanding. No one knew what the nature of that understanding was though. Not even Wash, who had unthinkingly assured the preacher that he had been listening with his ear tight against the bridge door.

Kaylee faced Jayne with her arms crossed tightly against her chest and Book glanced down at the pages in his hands for a moment to cover his eaves dropping. Jayne had maneuvered the girl into a corner. What was Kaylee supposed to say? 'I like him. That makes him my business'? She opened her mouth to make some kind of argument anyway but closed it again sullenly.

"Shouldn't be grabbing people by the throat, leastways." She grumbled.

The big man gave her an incredulous look.

"Not crew anyway!" She protested.

Jayne shrugged, non-committal. "Whoops." He said.

A frown and a grin fought each other for possession of Kaylee's face. Jayne glanced at the apple in his hand and then at her. Holding the golden fruit out to her, he raised one eyebrow. Kaylee regarded him sourly but temptation won out and she took it from him slowly. Whatever Jayne had done, an apple was still an apple- and she loved apples almost as much as strawberries. Book saw Jayne watch the girl with the same hungry expression she had eyed the fruit with. Kaylee raised the fruit to her nose to take a deep breath of its scent, her eyes falling closed. She sank her teeth into it and licked a bit of juice off her bottom lip with a pink tongue. Jayne turned abruptly back to his knife but he continued to observe her from under lowered eyelashes as she ate the apple with obvious enjoyment.

Book lowered his head as well. Oh yes, one little apple could start all kinds of trouble.

Kaylee made supper. Using some vegetables the captain had scrounged up, her usual deft way with protein, and god alone knew what else, she had made something that closely simulated chicken and dumplings. A grateful crew, minus Jayne, who never seemed to be at the table at the same time as Simon these days, tucked into the meal happily.

Wash smiled at his plate. It wasn't exactly food by the strictest standard but it was better than a lot of meals they'd had. "Good grub, Kaylee." He told the mechanic with a smile she returned sweetly.

"Thanks Wash but the cap'n got the potatoes and such."

"Now, don't be so modest girl," Mal chided teasingly from the head of the table, "A few sad potatoes does not a feast like this make. That takes a clever mechanic . . . and cook." Everyone smiled at the blush that colored Kaylee's cheeks from this praise.

"Cap'n." She protested, ducking her head shyly.

"It really is good." A soft voice on Wash's right insisted. The pilot turned his head curiously to find the doctor looking at Kaylee with a surprisingly intense expression. Under the table where no one could see Wash squeezed his wife's leg. When she looked up he nodded a little over at Simon so that she followed his gaze. Kaylee was cherry red but she smiled brightly at the doctor.

"Thank you, Simon."

The doctor reached across the table and touched the mechanic's hand gently. Kaylee's eyes fell to where their hands rested together on the wood and her smile flickered for just a moment.

"Kaylee, could you pass me the butter, please?" Zoë's voice interrupted the little moment. Glancing up quickly, Kaylee extradited her hand from under Simon's to pass Zoë the dish. She didn't return her hand to the table.

Zoë and Wash exchanged a look. Something strange was goin' on.


	7. Chapter 7

"Throw a bit a woo at her, see what sticks." –Dale from King of the Hill

**Chapter Seven- **

Kaylee was on top of the ship. Since Mal had promised them a few quiet days on Whitefall, she had decided to take advantage of having atmosphere and poke around the outside of Serenity to see if her phantom problem rested out there somewhere. Also, it was a beautiful cool sunny day and she wanted to look at the clouds awhile and smell the air.

The mechanic wasn't up top for very long before the hatch fell back with a clang and a cautious head rose into view. Kaylee looked up from her work with a quizzical frown.

"There you are," Simon's smile was warm, "I've been looking all over for you."

"For me?"

He nodded and took another step up. Standing, Kaylee made her careful way over Serenity's skin to help Simon out of the hole. She held her hand out to him but instead of offering her his own hand, he presented her with a bouquet of small blue wildflowers.

Kaylee accepted them with a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Simon!" Pressing her face to the blossoms, she breathed deeply, "They're so shway." She said in a soft voice.

"I picked them myself, out on the hill. River and I went for a little walk and these reminded me of you."

"Me? Why?"

Simon ducked his head, embarrassed. "Well, they're pretty and they smell good. . ."

Kaylee felt the blush to the tips of her fingers. "I know the perfect place for them." She confessed, looking down at the bouquet in her hand.

"Where?"

"On top of my tool stand in the engine room." Kaylee always felt that Serenity enjoyed a bit of pretty too and she felt closest to the spirit of the ship in the engine room.

Simon was looking at her strangely.

"What?"

The expression smoothed itself out, "I was just wondering what you were working on up here." Sitting down, he motioned for her to join him.

"Oh, I was just. . ." The mechanic launched into a ten minute explanation of how Serenity's thick skin was attached to her frame to seal out the vacuum of space and the best way to test the integrity of her hull. Eventually she ran down and they sat in silence for a moment enjoying the sun. From on top of Serenity the view was spectacular, stretching for miles.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" Kaylee observed, looking around at the rough pale mountains that encircled them.

"Nice." He agreed.

"Nice?" She asked with mock outrage. "Is that the best you can do? Don't you have a fancy education? Shouldn't you be using poetical language or somethin'?"

The doctor's smile widened, "When I was eight my father took me to Serafin Four. It has three moons and in the autumn, the mountains are like purple smoke underneath them." He looked around, "These are nice though."

Smoky purple mountains under triple moons- back in his old life, where everything was better. Kaylee frowned out at the mountains that until a moment ago seemed almost miraculously beautiful.

"What happened the other day?" Her voice unexpectedly hard.

"When?"

Kaylee gave him a flat look, "The other day. Why did Jayne chase you?"

"Who knows why the man ape does anything?" Simon asked with a small smile. He was obviously waiting for her to agree with him but as Kaylee thought about it, she realized she didn't. Sure, Jayne was impulsive and wild and enjoyed violence to an unsettling degree but he was not- what was the word, meant 'without explanation'? Inexplicable, that was it- Jayne was not _inexplicable_. He always had a reason for things- usually one of two: profit or fun.

"He had a reason- and you looked like you knew it." She watched him calmly, her very posture insisting on an explanation.

Simon returned her stare uneasily for a moment and then his expression turned bland. He shrugged. "Even if I did know why, it wouldn't be my reason to tell. It would be Jayne's."

Kaylee waited, sure he would not be so fool as to believe that was enough. There was a long pause.

"I was wondering-" He began but she didn't let him finish.

"I have some work to see to inside the ship." Kaylee picked up her tool belt and slung it over one shoulder before climbing into the hatch, "Thank-you for the flowers." She said before disappearing down the hole.

Simon sighed with frustration and laid back, arms flung wide and then crossed under his head to stare up into the sky.

* * *

"Kaylee!" Mal's irritated voice rang through the engine room. Ducking through the door he glanced around but saw no sign of his mechanic. His eyes fell on a chipped vase in the corner containing a number of small blue wildflowers. He studied them from across the room for a minute.

Girl mechanics, he thought. Huh.

"Gorram it girl," He tried again, "Where in the Hell-" The mechanics head popped up suddenly from behind the engine casing, "Oh, there you are."

"Hey Cap'n, What's up?"

"C'mon, we're getting out of here for a while." He swung one arm vaguely toward the door.

"Where we going?"

"You said we needed a new coupling for the port exhaust manifold."

"I said that three months ago and you tol' me I could pick out a brand spanking new one as soon as the nearest star turned to diamond and we could haul it into port to trade."

"I said that, huh?"

"Yup."

"Well, I musta been feeling playful because today you shall have a port exhaust manifold coupling!" The captain announced in grandiose tones. Kaylee watched him for a moment.

"Really?"

"What do you think I'm standing here for, girl? Yes. Really."

Kaylee threw her wrench into a nearby toolbox with a clatter. "Right now?"

"Right now."

Kaylee squealed joyfully and hurried across the engine to throw her arms around him. She hit him with so much force his breath rushed out with an 'oomph' sound. He loosened her twining arms from around his neck gently.

"Keep that up and you'll have the doc green with jealousy."

The mechanic's smile wavered and Mal frowned at her gently, peering intently down into her face. "What's that hoo dun gone and done now?"

"Nothing." _Won't tell me what happened between him an' Jayne_. _Oh, and the mountains aren't good enough_. The annoying thought had been plaguing her all day but she pushed it away ruthlessly. "Let's go get that coupling!" She smiled brightly.

"Okay then." He bowed her through the door grandly. "As you command Miss Kaywinnit."

"Thank you Captain Tight Pants. You are grace-osity itself."

"Hey! What did I tell you about that?" Mal's outraged voice behind her made Kaylee giggle.

They walked through the cargo bay arm in arm where Shepard Book was spotting Jayne for a set. Mal nodded to the two men and they were almost to the door when Zoe came hurrying down the stairs.

"Cap'n, it's Patience on the wave. She wants to talk to 'ya."

Mal sighed, "What about?" Mal and Patience had arrived at an uneasy truce but it didn't stop the old biddy from trying to gouge him every way she could.

"Says she's got an opportunity at another shipment of the same goods- cheaper price."

Mal commenced to swearing. Everyone waited patiently 'till he got to the end of his piece. "Fine. I'll be right there." Zoë nodded and hurried back up the stairs. Mal turned to Kaylee and she smiled wanly at him.

"Don't worry 'bout it cap'n. We've lasted this long without it."

Mal frowned at her. "I told you you'd have that coupling and you'll have it! Jayne!" The captain bellowed, not taking his eyes off of Kaylee. Jayne sat up hastily and swung his leg over the bench. He toweled his face off absently as he walked over.

"Yeah?" The merc asked.

"You take Kaylee into town for that part. She knows what she needs." Mal handed Kaylee a handful of credits. "See what you can do with that- and it'd be nice to see some change."

"Yes sir." She agreed.

Mal took Jayne by the elbow and pulled him a few feet away. "Look out for her." He told the big man seriously, "This ain't the nicest neighborhood."

Jayne gave the captain an offended look, "I will."

Mal tilted his head to the side.

"I always do, Mal." He snapped. The captain stopped for a moment and frowned at the taller man, considering.

Zoë's voice on the comm interrupted. "Cap'n, she's still waiting."

Shaking his head, the captain reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a few stray credits. "Here," He thrust them into Jayne's hands, "Buy her a beer or something. Get her to relax. Maybe she'll stop tearing my ship apart for fun." He rushed away.

Jayne looked up to find Kaylee watching him with a dry expression.

"Looks like we're stuck with each other." He observed.

"Looks like." She agreed with less enthusiasm then he would have liked.

"C'mon," He snatched up his coat and nodded toward the ramp.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8-**

The brief walk into town was mostly silent and Jayne grew increasingly concerned, thinking Kaylee might still be mad enough to spend the whole afternoon not talking to him, despite the apple he had given her. He should have known better though. Kaylee couldn't hold a grudge with a tractor beam and a dozen grapple hooks.

Walking along, she asked suddenly, "You think the mountains here are pretty?"

Furrowing his brow with confusion, he glanced up to study the scenery. After several concentrated minutes, he answered, "Yeah. I suppose."

She nodded absently to herself.

Curious why she asked, Jayne frowned at the horizon and resisted the urge to question her. He had a pretty good idea it had to do with Simon and he didn't want to hear that name pass her lips this afternoon. To change the subject, he asked if she had ever heard the one about the Shepard, the whore, and the malfunctioning anti-grav device. When he told her the joke, she laughed so hard she had to stop walking for a minute, bent over by the road holding her sides. The big man experienced a surge of gratification more powerful than anything he had felt in days. For the rest of the walk into town, they traded jokes, trying to out do the each other for sheer dirtiness. Kaylee knew several that would have reddened the ears of any normal man but had Jayne guffawing long and loud.

There wasn't much as far as shopping possibilities in town but there was a pretty fair junk yard that Kaylee seemed to hone in on almost magically. She made her way through the streets toward it so surely Jayne had to ask, "What? Can you smell spare parts or somethin'?"

She smiled at him and he had to fight the instinct to smile back when she replied, "Naw. They just tend to be in the same place in any town."

Under a makeshift awning at the entrance of the yard sat a wrinkled old man, slowly cleaning out an equally old part. Without a lick of hesitation, Kaylee walked straight up to him and launched into a rapid discussion of what she was looking for, in both English and Chinese that included technical type terms Jayne had never even heard before. While Jayne surveyed the junkyard carefully for movement or any signs of treachery, the old man walked Kaylee to various piles of metal. They examined a few different potential parts before Kaylee settled on the one she wanted.

Then the real discussion started. The old man opened with a price that was twice the amount Mal had given them both combined but Kaylee didn't even blink. With smiles and teasing and an absolute refusal to budge from her counter-offer, she haggled the old man down . . . and down . . . and down until they had reached a price that would allow her to bring the Captain back his requested change.

When the bargaining was done, the old man even wrapped the part in a scrap of brown paper, a service Jayne was sure not many people got. The junkyard man looked a little shell shocked but he managed to smile back a bit when Kaylee took the package and thanked him with her usual warmth. The whole process couldn't have taken more than half an hour.

As they walked away, Jayne studied Kaylee out of the corner of his eye. Finally he asked, "Where'd you learn to bargain like that, girl?"

"It's like everything, I suppose-" she said with an easy smile, "you know the value of what you're askin' for and the value of what you have ta offer." Hearing her own words, she paused frowning.

He watched for a second before interrupting, "C'mon, let me buy ya a beer."

The bar was dark and dirty and the beer tasted like goat piss but it did the job. Kaylee took a sip of her drink and winced, "This," she announced, "is a . . . really bad beer."

Jayne took a huge gulp out of his own dirty mug, "Yeah," he agreed.

On her next drink, the girl imitated his gulp, managing not to wince. Instead she let out a delicate little burp and Jayne raised one eyebrow at her, smiling a little. "My daddy," Kaylee told him confidentially, "always said, 'the difference between a good beer and a bad beer is . . . two.'"

Jayne opened his mouth to reply when the comm box on his belt beeped softly. Grimacing with sudden annoyance, he pulled it free and raising it to his face demanded, "Yeah?"

"Jayne?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Are you in a secure location?" Zoë's voice was sharp.

Jayne looked around the dark virtually empty bar dryly. He and Kaylee were nestled into a nice intimate little corner with no company in earshot. "Yeah- get to it already."

Zoë ignored his tone of voice. "Patience wants a face-to-face to inspect the goods."

"You need us back at the ship?"

"Not for a couple of hours. Just make sure you're back here by 1600, planet side time."

"Okay."

"Serenity out."

Jayne turned back to Kaylee, "What were we talking 'bout?" He asked.

She frowned into her now empty mug, "I think we were saying that I need more beer."

Jayne grinned, "You got it."

They drank a couple more- enough for Jayne to feel pleasantly relaxed and get Kaylee buzzed. She was so pretty with the beer working in her; her cheeks flushed and her smile wide and easy.

"You know what?" She asked him as she finished her third beer.

"What?"

"My daddy was right." She reached over the table and picked up his mug to take a sip. Jayne allowed it, enjoying the sight of Kaylee's mouth pressed against the spot where his had been just moments before. Putting the cup down, Kaylee put her elbow on the table and rested her head against her hand. She studied him sideways from that position, one eye narrowed slightly like she was trying to bring him into focus over a long distance.

"Why. . . " she began.

"Yeah?" He raised one eyebrow at her.

"were you chasing Simon-"

"Gorram it, Kaylee!"

Her face settled into an unpleasantly stubborn expression. "Don't know why nobody'll tell me anything. I'm not a little girl." The pouty shape of her lips said otherwise.

Jayne crossed his arms over his chest with equal stubbornness. "And I don't know why you gotta be so gorram nosy about every little thing what goes on in that boat!"

"She's my boat!"

"Hah! Mal'd like that one! You should tell him so!"

"You know what I mean!" She frowned outright at him, "Tell me why you were chasing Simon." When Jayne refused to answer she sat in sullen silence for a moment which he ignored. She gave him a deliberate glare but he wouldn't even look at her. Studying him, she decided to try a new tactic. Arranging her face into a more pleasant expression, Kaylee asked in a sweet cajoling tone, "Please, Jayne? I just want to know why. Please?"

Jayne relaxed a little in his chair, "Kaylee-" He sighed.

"Please? I know!" She sat forward and smiled brightly, her eyes shinning just a little too much, "You'll answer my question and I'll answer one of yours- any question you want."

"What makes you think I wanna know anything about you?"

"There's gotta be something! Everybody's curious 'bout something."

A group of nearly a dozen men crowded into the bar and up to the counter, demanding drinks. Jayne eyed them carefully, recognizing the obvious signs of fellow muscle. He shifted a little in his chair so that his favorite handgun 'Lulu' was under his fingers. The men made their way to a couple of nearby tables and didn't seem to even notice him an' Kaylee, tucked away in their dark corner. So the big man relaxed a bit, turning his attention back to Kaylee. What she proposed had some potential . . . and she hadn't let go of her ragin' curiosity to know what had passed between him an' Simon like he thought she would. Maybe it would be best to give her a little something just so she'd drop it.

"A'right." He leaned back and gave her a look she couldn't read, "What were you doin' in the engine room last week when I found you with your boots off?"

Kaylee looked startled. Of all the question she had expected that certainly wasn't one of them. "Well," she said slowly, "I was . . . I was listening to Serenity."

He looked confused but not like he thought what she said was strange or funny. Of course, Kaylee realized, he had his Vera so maybe he could understand a little. Her cheeks a blushing pink, Kaylee continued. "It's somethin' I do sometimes, when I know there's a problem- I take off my shoes and I just open myself up so she can tell me what's goin' wrong but . . . " She trailed off and he nodded to encourage her. "It didn't work. Nothing's working right lately." She bit her lip. "Maybe," she suggested in a very small voice, "maybe, she's mad at me."

"Mad at you?" He demanded in an incredulous voice. "What in the gorram hell are you talking about, girl? Ain't no one or nothing in this entire 'verse could stay mad at you!"

"But-"

"Ain't no buts about it."

There was something kinda reassuring about his absolute certainty. "Why were you chasing Simon?" She asked.

Jayne shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "He stuck his tongue out at me when you wasn't lookin'." He said finally.

"Simon stuck his tongue out at you." She said in a doubting tone of voice.

He nodded, looking sheepish and sullen.

"And that's it?" she demanded. "That's what neither of you would tell me? That's the silliest thing I ever heard!" She glared at him for a second, "Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

"It weren't none of your business." He repeated stubbornly.

Kaylee made a sound of disgust and opened her mouth to say something more when Jayne waved her quiet. The toughs behind them were making all kinds of noise suddenly. They both heard the word 'firefly' and a round of raucous laughter.

"This here's the plan so listen up! Patience," A man with a jagged scar through his eyebrow explained when things got a little quieter, "got her eye on that boat for a while now an' she's decided to make it hers." He lowered his voice and Jayne leaned back casually in his chair, "See Reynolds is cautious like a little mouse but the old lady's got 'em to agree to meet her for a transfer of goods way out in the middle of nowhere. He'll come in low, looking for ambush but won't see nobody 'cause we'll be hiding a couple of clicks off. She'll keep him busy talking- 'cause he loves the sound of his own voice- and then we ride in hell for leather, kill 'em all, and take the boat and the goods and Patience'll give us all our cut."

There was another round of laughter and shouting at this pronouncement and somebody called for more drinks. When Jayne looked back at Kaylee her face was pale and suddenly sober. "Whadda we do?" She asked him.

"Act natural." Jayne ordered another beer and drank it a little faster than usual. Then with almost exaggerated care he stood and motioned slightly for Kaylee to pick up her part and follow him. In the flurry of ordering another round and kinda drunk already none of Patience's men saw them leave.

Outside in the painfully bright daylight again, Jayne pulled Kaylee into the alleyway next to the bar. Creeping to the other end of it, they both noticed the large mule parked in the clearing out back, guarded by one heavily armed man. Jayne pulled out the comm but Kaylee grabbed his arm.

"Wait! What are you doin'?" She demanded.

"We gotta call Mal and let him know what's going on." He said. Wasn't that obvious?

"Did you see how many guys there were inside? Almost a dozen. Not even you an' Mal an' Zoe can handle that many all of a sudden. Lemme think a second. We-" The little mechanic was studying the mule absently as she talked when she stopped suddenly in the middle of what she had been saying to grin brilliantly at him. "I can fix it so that mule never makes it to the rendezvous- No mule, no men, problem solved." She looked so pleased with herself.

"Kaylee-" He didn't want to ruin her plan but he had to be practical.

"Yeah?"

"We're in town, what's ta stop 'em from grabbing another mule?"

Kaylee looked at him blankly for a minute before blinking. "Whaddya suppose," She asked him, "is between here and the rendezvous point?"

Jayne's lip curled contemptuously, "Whole lotta nothin'."

"Then I think that's where they outta break down, don't you?" A smile emerged on Jayne's face. Kaylee surveyed the one heavily armed man guarding the transport with a frown, "But how are we gonna get close with that big oaf out there?"

Jayne's grin got a little wider, "Just you leave that to me, lil' Kaylee."

"Hiya!" Kaylee walked straight up to the man standing next to the mule and gave him her brightest smile, "Is that a Capisen 38 engine in there?"

Before the man could reply, Jayne appeared behind him only to bring his fist down sharply on the top of the guard's head. Kaylee saw his eyes cross briefly before he slumped to the ground and she winced in sympathy. Leaning over, Jayne reached into the man's coat and cleaned out his pockets.

"Jayne!" Kaylee protested in a shocked whisper.

"Gotta make it look like a robbery, otherwise they'll get suspicious." The big man explained, sliding the cash into his own pocket. Moving quickly Jayne pulled the unconscious and now broke guard behind some nearby crates. When the big man returned, he found Kaylee frowning at some anonymous panel that looked the same as every other gorram panel on the gorram mule.

"Give me your knife." Kaylee demanded absently.

The big man gave her a startled glance and then looked down at the massive and _sharp_ piece of steel on his hip, "Kaylee, I ain't so sure that's a good-"

With an impatient sound, the mechanic turned and snatched the knife from his belt. Sliding it under the edge of the panel, she popped the metal loose and then used the blades edge to deftly peel the casing off some wires. She cross connected them carefully and then closed the panel, pounding it in tight with the butt of the knife. The whole process took less than a minute.

She offered the knife back to him, handle first. "There. When that blows, it should short out any a their comms too. Let's get back to the ship."

Nodding his agreement, Jayne took the knife carefully. He glanced at the panel she had just closed, "That's it?"

"That's it."

"Damn girl," Jayne said in an earnest kind of awe, "God, hisself could probably learn a thing or two 'bout way stuff is put together from you."

Kaylee protested with an embarrassed shake of her head, going red again. "Ain't nothing." She said, walking away quickly.

Jayne trailed after. Glancing down at Kaylee's petit frame, he disagreed softly, "Oh, it's something alright."

They made it back to Serenity just in time to take off for the rendezvous. Somehow Kaylee was needed in the engine room and Jayne had to prep for the meeting and there just wasn't time to explain what they had done in town. After the captain, Zoë, and Jayne had left the ship to meet Patience, Kaylee puttered around the cargo bay, absently adjusting the mechanism on the bay crane while she waited for them to return.

It only took half an hour or so before Mal and Zoë came in, frowning and talking intently. Jayne followed behind whistling to himself.

"What happened?" Kaylee asked anxiously. "Is everybody okay?"

The Captain nodded, "Yeah, everything went just fine. Just like Patience said it would." He frowned, "I don't trust it. Patience always tries to screw us- that's what she does. How'd this one deal actually go off smooth?" Jayne and Kaylee avoided each other's eye.

"We got the money and nobody got hurt, sir," Zoë observed, "That's all that matters right?"

"I suppose," Mal conceded, "It just don't seem right is all- what can you trust in this crazy 'verse if people like Patience are gonna start keeping their word?" The captain pounded the comm button, "Wash," He said irritably, "take us off this dog-humping piece of rock."

The ship was on its way.

Jayne let Mal stew until dinner when he finally related the story of Kaylee's sabotage to everyone's glee. When everyone turned to look at her, she blushed furiously, "It's those Capisen 38 engines-" she explained with a mischievous little smile, "they fall right outta the sky."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**-

Simon watched through hard eyes from the far end of the table as Jayne related the story of Kaylee's little act of sabotage. It was the first time Simon and Jayne had been at dinner together since they struck their bargain and the doctor found himself wondering if it had been like this at every meal he had missed. Jayne was sitting next to Kaylee, one of his hands resting on the back of her chair as he told everyone about the little adventure they had shared. She laughed and interrupted him and he waved away her arguments with an easy gesture. Everyone at the table was laughing- except Simon.

He had thought this would be easy- it wasn't like Kaylee had been subtle in her admiration for him. But somehow whenever he tried to get close to her something would go wrong. And now here was Jayne, who seemed closer to her every time he turned around. Reaching out with one hand, Simon snatched up a piece of bread irritably and found himself looking into his sister's watching eyes. He pushed the frown aside to smile at her.

"Do you want half, mei-mei?" He asked holding up the bread. There was a burst of laughter from the other end of the table and Simon couldn't hide his brief scowl.

"What do you want?" She asked, her head tilted to the side. With one steady finger, she reached across the table slowly to touch him over his heart. "Gotta know the value of what you're asking for."

"You don't have to give me anything for the bread- I'll share." He said, frowning at his sister gently though he squeezed her hand before she pulled it back. Did she really think she would have to bargain with him over a piece of bread?

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay." She agreed, everything normal all of a sudden.

He handed her half, still examining her expression but she just smiled vaguely as she took it. Tearing off a bite, she used it to wipe up some of the extra sauce on her plate. Before popping the bread into her mouth she added, "Don't play too rough." She turned to the conversation going on around them before he could ask what she meant.

Simon lowered his eyes to his plate and tried hard not to hear Jayne's familiar teasing tone and Kaylee's easy laugh. He wasn't going to lose, he promised himself. Not to Jayne.

It was a three day haul to their next stop and everyone was a little antsy having worked themselves up for a confrontation with Patience that never came. Mal, feeling the mood of the ship like his own suggested a game of hoop ball to help work off all the extra energy the crew was sitting on.

Everyone consented- without argument which Mal figured was about the closest you got to eager with his crew.

They met in the cargo bay around midday, shipside time: Zoë, Wash, Jayne, Kaylee, Simon, Book, and even Inara and River to watch from the upper deck. Even Simon wanted to play which left them with an uneven number of players, until- being the good preacher man that he was- Book offered to act as referee to even out teams. Though what he thought he was going to referee seeing that hoop ball didn't really have any discernable rules, Mal didn't know.

By virtue of being the _actual_ ship's captain, Mal always got to be a _team_ captain, leaving the question of who would be the other team captain. Book proved his worth by solving this problem as well.

"I'm thinking of a number between one and fifty." He announced.

"Twenty-five." Said Zoe.

"Seventeen." Growled Jayne.

"Thirty-four." Kaylee guessed.

"Twelve." Offered Simon.

"Forty-nine." Wash said with absolute surety.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"What?" He asked bewildered, "It's perfect! Nobody would suspect it!"

"Nobody but you, honey." Zoë observed fondly.

"Actually the number was ten-" Jayne, Wash, and Kaylee all groaned, "the same number, incidentally," Book added raising his voice, "of God's commandments to his people."

"Thanks for the bible study, Preacher." Mal's voice was dry, "I'm sure we all feel very enlightened." He slapped his hands together and gave them an anticipatory rub, "Let's get this game moving. Doctor," He motioned Simon to stand beside him. "I get first pick," He added as the younger man moved to stand next to him. The captain opened his mouth to name his first choice-

"Wait- Why?" Simon interrupted.

Mal shut his mouth and turned toward the doctor. "What about the phrase, 'Because I'm the captain' do you people all find so incomprehensible?" He faced the group again, "Zoë." He called and his second-in-command came to stand beside him.

Simon surveyed his three possible choices. He and Jayne's deal had been simple- no interference. But simple wasn't necessarily the same as clear. What did this little game constitute? There were all kinds of possible repercussions here; one of which was Kaylee would be pleased and flattered if he chose her first. Hmm . . .

Simon couldn't afford to pass up an opportunity.

And he wasn't entirely convinced Jayne had been playing by the rules anyway.

"Kaylee." He announced his choice, deliberately not looking at Jayne. The mechanic gave him a bright smile and when she walked past, her hand brushed his. A small smile parted his lips as well and Simon lowered his head as he un-buttoned his shirt sleeves to hide it.

"Jayne." The captain called the big man over to his team and Simon didn't know whether to be grateful or worried. Wash gave his wife a shrug and moved to stand with Kaylee and Simon.

Picking up the ball, Book carried it to the middle of the bay, just under the large hoop dangling from the ceiling. "Toss-up. Take your positions. We'll play to fifteen." Mal pushed Jayne forward and the big man went to stand beside the Shepard.

Simon turned to his teammates. Wash shrugged, "I'd go but you're taller." He slapped the younger man on the arm, "Good luck." He moved to stand between Zoë and the little tableau beneath the hoop. Looking over at Kaylee, Simon was rewarded with a small rueful smile.

"He'll try to push you over and just take the ball," she told him, "You gotta be ready for him." She glanced over her shoulder at Jayne and then back at Simon. "It'll be fun." She told him in a voice full of buried doubt before she moved to guard Mal.

"Fun. Right."

Standing in the middle of the cargo bay, Simon took a deep breath and looked at Shepard Book's familiar face. Holding the large silver ball balanced carefully on the pads of five fingers, Book raised it up high to the ceiling and the doctor followed the motion with his eyes. The harsh lights overhead created little circles and half moons of white in his vision and he followed the ball's path as Book lowered it between him and the big man. Simon held his gaze level until the ball moved away to reveal Jayne's murderous glare. It was all the doctor could do not to flinch.

Apparently, Jayne felt this did constitute a breach of their contract.

Suddenly Book launched the ball into the air and backed off hastily as Simon jumped for it and Jayne jumped for him. Expecting the blow, Simon stumbled heavily but managed to hold onto the ball when Jayne threw one muscled shoulder into him. Kaylee was at his elbow and he passed the ball hastily to her.

The game had begun.


End file.
